4 years ago
LIBERAL NDIS UNDERSPEND DISTRESSING AND UNFAIR
BILL SHORTEN MP
NDIS participants, carers and providers on the NSW Central Coast have expressed their despair about the Morrison Liberal Government’s ongoing failure to fix the NDIS.
“This Government won’t even sit down and listen to those who know the most about the National Disability Insurance Scheme,” said the Shadow Minister for the NDIS, Bill Shorten, after participating in an NDIS roundtable at the Yerin Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Health Centre in Wyong this morning.
Mr Shorten, along with Shadow Assistant Minister for Carers and Member for Dobell, Emma McBride, heard the experiences of local NDIS participants and their carers during the roundtable.
“This Government’s $1.6 billion underspend on the NDIS is causing heartache for the very people it was intended to help,” Mr Shorten said.
“The Liberals are propping up their budget by underspending on the NDIS by $1.6 billion while people living with a disability are missing out on care and support,” he said.
“Even the process of registering or having a plan review is taking months. Participants are continuing to wait too long for services when their plan is finally approved.
“There is too much red tape and bureaucracy; it is not the job of the NDIS to tell participants and their carers they are wrong; there is a troubling level of dysfunction in the organisation now.
“The Government says it is a demand-driven system, well they may have a big dam but they have designed it with too narrow a diameter pipe.
“Now the Minister and Government are pushing it back to the department and it gives me the sense that there is no one running the joint,” Mr Shorten said.
“The NDIS continues to be one of the top reasons why people seek out my assistance and I know this is the case across the county,” said Shadow Assistant Minister for Carers and Member for Dobell, Emma McBride.
“Today we have heard from families having to borrow money for groceries so they can pay for the reports needed for their child’s NDIS assessment,” Ms McBride said.
“We’ve already had 20 reports and reviews into the NDIS in the past six years, we don’t have time for more of the same,” she said.
“The Government must fix the NDIS now.”
“This Government won’t even sit down and listen to those who know the most about the National Disability Insurance Scheme,” said the Shadow Minister for the NDIS, Bill Shorten, after participating in an NDIS roundtable at the Yerin Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Health Centre in Wyong this morning.
Mr Shorten, along with Shadow Assistant Minister for Carers and Member for Dobell, Emma McBride, heard the experiences of local NDIS participants and their carers during the roundtable.
“This Government’s $1.6 billion underspend on the NDIS is causing heartache for the very people it was intended to help,” Mr Shorten said.
“The Liberals are propping up their budget by underspending on the NDIS by $1.6 billion while people living with a disability are missing out on care and support,” he said.
“Even the process of registering or having a plan review is taking months. Participants are continuing to wait too long for services when their plan is finally approved.
“There is too much red tape and bureaucracy; it is not the job of the NDIS to tell participants and their carers they are wrong; there is a troubling level of dysfunction in the organisation now.
“The Government says it is a demand-driven system, well they may have a big dam but they have designed it with too narrow a diameter pipe.
“Now the Minister and Government are pushing it back to the department and it gives me the sense that there is no one running the joint,” Mr Shorten said.
“The NDIS continues to be one of the top reasons why people seek out my assistance and I know this is the case across the county,” said Shadow Assistant Minister for Carers and Member for Dobell, Emma McBride.
“Today we have heard from families having to borrow money for groceries so they can pay for the reports needed for their child’s NDIS assessment,” Ms McBride said.
“We’ve already had 20 reports and reviews into the NDIS in the past six years, we don’t have time for more of the same,” she said.
“The Government must fix the NDIS now.”